A special national holiday on May 20 is Kupalnitsa: history, traditions, omens
Every year on May 20, Orthodox believers remember the appearance of the Lord's Cross in heaven in Jerusalem, a miraculous event that church tradition dates back to the year 351. In the national calendar, the date was named Kupalnitsa. In 2026, it falls on a Wednesday. Read about the history of the holiday, its traditions, signs and strict prohibitions in the Izvestia article.
What is the church holiday on May 20th?
The appearance of the Holy Cross occurred in Jerusalem in 351, when Constantius II, the son of Constantine the Great, ruled the Roman Empire. His father stopped the persecution of Christians and supported the new faith, but under Constance the church was once again embroiled in sharp disputes. The emperor was inclined towards Arianism, a doctrine that denied the consubstantiality of the Son of God with the Father.
It was at this moment, as church tradition tells us, that an unusual sign appeared over Jerusalem, which many residents of the city witnessed. In the morning, a shining Cross appeared in the sky, stretching from Golgotha, where Jesus Christ was crucified, to the Mount of Olives, a place associated with the Ascension of the Lord.
The radiance, according to legend, was brighter than sunlight and lasted for quite a long time — the townspeople managed to leave their houses to see it with their own eyes, and then gather in temples.
The appearance of the Cross was reported to the Emperor. St. Cyril of Jerusalem described the event in his epistle to Constantius, pointing out its spiritual meaning. For Christians, it was a confirmation of the truth of faith, and for doubters, it was a great shock.
Traditions of the national holiday Kupalnitsa on May 20
In Russia, the church date was popularly called Kupalnitsa. By May 20, the sun was noticeably gaining strength, the rivers and lakes were warming up, and the peasants were taking their horses to them. After a long winter, the animals needed care, they were washed, their mane, skin and hooves were examined. In the villages, horses were the labor force on which plowing, transportation, haymaking and the entire summer labor depended.
The water on this day was considered special. Early in the morning, it was collected from reservoirs, brought home in buckets and left in the sun. By noon, she had to be "saturated" with solar power. After that, it was poured over. This rite, according to beliefs, strengthened the body, relieved fatigue, made it easier to enter the field work season and protected from ailments.
The housewives used the remnants of this water to carry out special protective rituals: they lightly sprayed corners, thresholds of the house and courtyard buildings to ward off evil spirits, misfortunes and accumulated over the winter heaviness.
Morning dew was also attributed healing properties. Women and girls collected it for washing, hoping to preserve the freshness of the face and beauty. The children were allowed to run barefoot on the wet grass. The ancestors believed that such procedures help them grow strong.
Active sowing operations were already underway in the field for the Bathing house. There was a belief that the seed taken "from the side" gives particularly strong shoots. Therefore, the peasants went to visit each other and could carry away a small handful of seeds unnoticed. Since the custom was well known, it was perceived as a game where everyone got a chance to exchange "power" with fellow villagers.
What not to do on the holiday Kupalnitsa
There were a number of prohibitions associated with bathing in Russia, the main of which concerned bathing babies. On May 20, mothers tried to keep an eye on their children by the water themselves, not trusting them to outsiders, even if the person was reliable. People believed that if someone else bathed a baby or took him to a pond on that day, he could weaken for a long time, become restless or get sick more often.
What else you can't do on May 20:
- quarreling with loved ones — a disagreement risks dragging on for a long time.;
- to use abusive words in conversation — swearing, according to legend, opens the way to evil spirits and can bring anxiety into the house.;
- gossiping and slandering — lies will come back to a person with failures;
- to be a hypocrite, to say one thing and think another — such duality will attract losses and unpleasant changes into a person's life.;
- Guessing — trying to find out the fate can destroy the present;
- for girls to do needlework, the thing will quickly deteriorate;
- take scissors, needles, knives and other sharp objects unnecessarily — the wounds received on this day will take a long time to heal.;
- handle fragile items carelessly — a broken object portends quarrels or losses.;
- Playing with fire and leaving the flame unattended is a high probability of fire or burns during the holiday.
Folk signs for May 20th
During the Bathing season, the peasants carefully observed nature, especially the night sky, in order to make a weather forecast for the coming weeks and determine what the summer and harvest would be like.
- A rainbow in the morning leads to prolonged rains, and an evening rainbow leads to clear weather in the coming days.;
- The bathing suit fell on the growing Moon — the seedlings of vegetables will take root well and give a rich harvest.;
- The moon turns red in the evening — it's raining, a ring is visible around the moon — the wind will increase in the near future;
- a lot of ants — the heat will set in soon;
- bees are especially active in the morning — a thunderstorm is possible;
- the water in the river is calm and warming up quickly — the summer will be smooth, without sharp cold.
- a strong wind near the water will lead to an early change in the weather.
Earlier, Izvestia reported on the signs and strict prohibitions of Arina Kapustnitsa's special holiday.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
